Alias 5.6: "Solo"

Written by Jeffrey Bell
Directed by Jeffrey Bell

In which Sydney’s delicate condition forces Rachel to do in the field on a solo mission, which serves as a trial by fire when Dean sends Peyton to eliminate Rachel as a threat…


Status Report

The process of shifting Sydney out of the field and into a mentorship role takes a huge leap in this episode, which means that the success of the tale was resting heavily on the lovely shoulders of Rachel Gibson and her solo efforts. Thankfully, as her awkward phase ends, her relevance as a character gains momentum. This is good, because it’s about time for the “introduction” phase of the season arc to be over so the story can move forward.

It certainly doesn’t hurt that she was a former model with a famously chameleon-like beauty; she’s quite suited to this world, from a physical perspective. But this is a role that requires a strong range, especially when it comes to portraying a convincing vulnerability, and Rachel Nichols is surprisingly good at it. There’s little doubt that Rachel (the character) is far from comfortable on her own in the field, and it’s clear whenever she pushes down that doubt to get the job done.

To get the obvious out of the way first, Rachel was incredibly hot as Ramandy (Ha!), and not just because of the slutty low-cut dress. When she poured on the heat, she threw some glances at the camera that practically set the world on fire. Like Sydney before her, she understands that she has loads of sex appeal and how to use it. As her development as a field agent progresses, she ought to have more to fall back on.

Amy Acker was also surprisingly gorgeous in this episode, which may not come as a huge surprise. After all, she was also a model and noted for her hotness, but in a very girlish way. In several scenes (particularly her first scene in the episode), Amy looked more mature and substantial in her beauty. The wetsuit didn’t hurt, but when she’s not tossing out terribly melodramatic lines, she is far better at the role of Peyton than one might have predicted.

The writers are still bashing the audience over the head with the analogies; they should have treated the audience to figure out on their own that Sydney was shifting into a Vaughn-like role with Rachel. (And if that vague hint about Rachel’s preferences earlier in the season comes to be true, that could be far more disturbing than it already is!) In a sense, Peyton is like the new Anna: Rachel’s nemesis in the organization that is directly opposed to Rachel’s organization.

That shift is very interesting, and Rachel is likely to win over many fans once they recognize the necessity of the character, but the treatment of the story has certain problems. The writers have a good enough “Alias” story in place, but the dialogue is particularly worrisome, and some scenes are just a bit too direct.

For instance, Gordon Dean acts like he should be a villain in a bad James Bond film. He’s way over the top in how he deals with Sloane, which doesn’t make sense. Yes, he has an advantage, but this is Sloane; messing with him is typically a bad idea, or is Dean completely unaware of what happened to Lindsey in the third season? What makes it even worse is that Sloane is doing what Dean wants, only on his own terms. From Dean’s point of view, why push Sloane so hard? Does Dean want Sloane to turn around and betray him?

Sloane’s character thread this season is far from satisfying, which is hard to understand. His position should be compelling, and work as something of a counterpoint to Rachel’s experience. Both are conflicted in their loyalties. The problem is the portrayal of the enemy; in this case, Dean is not strong enough a character to generate a serious threat. Peyton is better as a lethal fame fatale, but even her dialogue tends towards the unfortunately ham-fisted quality of Dean’s scenery-chewing.

While Rachel gets a lot of attention in this episode (from the writers and the audience), the other two new characters are somewhat less served. Thomas Grace throws out some good snide comments here and there, but his character doesn’t have much definition beyond filling the Noah Hicks role of solid, experienced partner. And Rene is little more than the “unofficial and questionable ally”, though the previous episode was promising for the future.

Despite the dialogue issues, this was still a good advancement for the season, if only because it gets the characters closer to the “complication” phase of the arc. What the writers really need to do is simple: make the enemy compelling enough for the audience to care. Yes, they killed Vaughn, but a good chunk of the audience blames someone other than the villain for that, so it’s not working on an objective level. Making the enemy more substantial would do much to mitigate the feeling that “Alias” has run out of things to say.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode had a lot going for it, but some poor dialogue choices and an increasingly over-the-top villain took away from the quality. Rachel Nichols continues to be a stunning addition to the cast, but the other two new characters are struggling to remain relevant. Sloane’s character thread could also use some work.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 1/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 6/10

(Season 5 Average: 6.3)